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Topic Scattering of light
Asked 10 times across 6 UPSC exams over 44 years (1981–2025), peaking in 2022.
Key insights
- Most tested in NDA — 4 of 10 PYQs
- Most asked in 2022
- Recurs across 8 years (1981–2025)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 1981 → CDS 2018 → NDA 2020 → CAPF 2022 → CISF 2022 → GEO 2022
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (8 of 10) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
NDA2025
What happens when the sunlight travels through the Earth's atmosphere?
- A The blue colour is scattered more compared to the red colour ✓
- B The red colour is scattered more compared to the blue colour
- C Both the blue and the red colours are scattered equally
- D The blue colour is not scattered but the red colour is scattered the most
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
NDA2023
The streaming of light beams coming from the Sun through trees is said to have suggested that light travels in straight line. The particles on the path of light beams are visible to us because
- A dust particles in the air reflect light into our eyes
- B dust particles in the air scatter light into our eyes ✓
- C dust particles in the air refract light into our eyes
- D dust particles in the air polarize light into our eyes
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
CAPF2022
The optical phenomenon responsible for the blue colour of sky is
- A dispersion
- B reflection
- C refraction
- D scattering ✓
✓ Correct answer: (D)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
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